Various types of chemical weapons have been developed. Most of these chemical weapons are effective when their active ingredients come in contact with skin. Military personnel are most likely to require a defense against such weapons. In response, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) has developed numerous ways to counter chemical weapons, including detectors, specialized clothing and products designed to decontaminate skin exposed to such weapons. Unfortunately, with the threat of terrorism increasing, first responders are also in need of protection against chemical weapons. Chemical weapon attacks are not frequent such that any products designed to decontaminate skin must be stored for relatively long periods of time between potential attacks. In addition, there are certain agrichemicals such as pesticides that work in a similar manner to the active ingredients in chemical weapons such that there is also a need to protect or treat workers in industrial settings.
One product used to decontaminate skin is Reactive Skin Decontaminating Lotion (RSDL) which is a skin decontaminating lotion used by the DoD to treat people who have been exposed to toxic compounds such as chemical or nerve agents. RSDL contains diacetylmonoxime (DAM) which can complex with potassium bicarbonate to form potassium 2, 3-butanedione monoxime (KBDO). Both DAM and KBDO can serve as active ingredients for skin decontamination, along with polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether (MPEG) and water as a solvent/emollient system. RSDL is primarily effective against organophosphoruous (OP) nerve agents. Military personnel are issued pouches, each containing a sponge that is soaked with RSDL. When skin is exposed to a suspected organophosphoruous compound, RSDL is applied by tearing open the pouch, removing the sponge and scrubbing the exposed skin with the saturated sponge. The RSDL is left on the skin to allow the active ingredients to react with the OP nerve agents and penetrate into the skin tissue. The RSDL is ultimately removed by washing.
Skin exposed to organophosphoruous compounds must be treated immediately. Therefore, military personnel must store and carry RSDL so that the RSDL is readily available. RSDL is water sensitive. DAM is postulated to degrade into dimethylglyoxime (DMG) in the presence of water via hydrolysis and oximation mechanisms. See FIG. 1 of the non-patent literature to Bogan et al. (“Chemical stability of reactive skin decontamination lotion (RSDL®)”), which is incorporated herein by reference. Currently, RSDL will degrade over time and has a shelf life at 30° C. of only four years. Furthermore, if the RSDL is kept outside of that temperature range for even a short period of time, the material will be substantially degraded. Therefore, there exists a need for a treatment of exposure to OP compounds and nerve agents that has a long shelf life (i.e. greater than 5 years at 50° C.) but which can also be readily applied to exposed skin when needed. Specifically, DoD personnel in the field and civil first responders need decontamination product formulations and packaging that have enhanced shelf lives and performances over time compared to current decontamination products.